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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29079066">Tomorrow, Today</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/limjaeseven/pseuds/limjaeseven'>limjaeseven</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Verse 2 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>GOT7, JJ Project</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Character Death, Fluff, M/M, Sad Park Jinyoung (GOT7), cute jjp</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:34:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,534</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29079066</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/limjaeseven/pseuds/limjaeseven</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Jinyoung and Jaebeom set off on a journey of a lifetime, promising to never let go, but things rarely end up the way you want them to be</p><p>Verse 2: Part 2 of 8</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Verse 2 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2132364</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tomorrow, Today</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jaebeom stuffed random clothes into his well-worn leather duffel bag that his father had gifted him for his fifteenth birthday as his mother watched him, her body resting against the door frame of her son’s room. He plucked a few books off his shelf, his diary and some pens from his desk, a few of his favourite hats and some accessories scattered across his room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have to do this, Jaebeom?” The man just sighed heavily, turning to his mother and wrapping her in a warm hug.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s time mom, I promised Jinyoung I’d do this for him. If I don’t do it now it’ll never happen,” Jaebeom said, using the cuff of his sleeve to wipe away the stray tear on his mother’s cheek.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jinyoung stepped out of his building to see Jaebeom in the driver’s seat of his father’s old sedan, his feet up on the dashboard, head resting on his palms behind his head. It was still early in the morning, the sun hadn’t risen properly and there was still a chill in the air. Holding onto the strap of his bag tightly, Jinyoung took a deep breath before knocking on the passenger side glass of the car, grabbing the elder’s attention.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He quickly sat up straight up, pushing the door open for Jinyoung to get in. The younger’s bag was small enough to throw into the back seat through the gap between the two front seats so he dumped it there next to Jaebeom’s leather duffle bag before turning to Jaebeom and nodding.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The drive to the airport was quiet, the radio turned to low as Jinyoung looked out of the window at the Seoul skyline. The ride was short, and before they knew it they were at the airport. Jinyoung didn’t bother asking what Jaebeom would do about the car, he knew that the elder would have planned out everything with at most care.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was one thing that always surprised Jinyoung, because, for as laid back and carefree Jaebeom looked, he was a perfectionist, needing absolutely everything to be just as he wanted it to be. He had planned his entire life by age sixteen, despite how things would change in the future. Even when things didn’t go his way he considered it a sign and amended his plan to still satisfy his vision.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn’t talk much as they got through security, heading to the food court to get some food before heading to the boarding gate to wait for their turn. The airport was crowded, the only two empty seats were with their backs together. Sighing, they sat on either side, the backs of their heads resting against each other’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaebeom pulled out a book from his bag while Jinyoung put on his earphones to listen to an audio book. When people said they were opposites but somehow the same, they meant it. The two were perfect reflections of each other, exactly the same but different enough to see a difference. It wasn’t long before the announcement was made for their flight, quickly packing up their things before walking to the boarding gate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaebeom got the window seat but after one pout from Jinyoung he ended up between the younger and a middle aged man, not like he really minded it. Like every time they flew together, Jinyoung chose a movie on his screen and gave Jaebeom one of the earbuds, the elder leaning his head against the younger’s shoulder as they settled in for their three hour flight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Arriving at </span>
  <span>Asahikawa airport, they headed to the car hire booth. Jaebeom had called them in advance, booking a pick up truck for their trip. After picking up the keys, they went down to the car park and found the vehicle, throwing their bags in the back before climbing in and driving off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jinyoung was the one who found the T junction in Hokkaido, he had wanted to visit Japan for a long time and was scrolling through tourist photos when he saw it. Something about it called to him and he showed it to Jaebeom, desperate to see it as soon as he could. Jaebeom’s face faltered for a moment when he saw the photo but promised him that he would personally take the boy there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They later found out that there were two villages exactly 10 kilometres on either side of the road, both nearly identical, just mirrored, and Jaebeom bet Jinyoung that they’d both walk the distance on either side and find the motel in their respective village and call each other, before retracing their steps back. Jinyoung wrote down the name and number of the motels that very night and had Jaebeom keep the piece of paper he wrote it on in his wallet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Three years later they were in a pick up truck in Hokkaido, driving the three hundred kilometre drive to their destination. They left the airport at almost noon, a map spread across Jinyoung’s lap, Jaebeom in the driver’s seat, their phones switched off in their bags.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung, why now?” Jaebeom smiled, his eyes still on the road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just knew it was time. You’re turning twenty five tomorrow, you’re not the small child I met in first grade anymore” He reached over to ruffle the younger’s hair, his expression proud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I’m not a kid anymore then can I finally call you Jaebeom-ah? You’re not even a year older than me, yeah, Lim Jaebeom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Regardless of how old you are, you’ll always be my dongsaeng, brat. Don’t even try to convince me that you don’t need to call me hyung anymore,” Jaebeom just chuckled at Jinyoung’s pouting and whining.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They pulled out of the metropolitan area into the more rural regions of the island, either side of the road lined with wheat plantations, a month too late to be harvested as compared to normal but global warming wasn’t affecting just humans. The roads stretched to as far as the eyes could see, small huts and settlements the only signs of human life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They drove at a calm pace, enjoying the fresh air and beautiful scenery, stopping every hour or two to take a few pictures here and there. Just as they were about to start looking for a place to find some food, they drove by a small roadside restaurant selling cheap meals. Parking their truck a few meters down the road, they stepped out and walked across to the establishment and ordered two bowls of ramen.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The tables were made of wood and there were long benches on either side instead of chairs in the restaurant. Jaebeom and Jinyoung settled on either side of the table, their food arriving soon after. Watching the two of them eat together was fascinating, as Jaebeom stuffed his mouth full of noodles while Jinyoung ate small bites, picking at his food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Filled to the brim with hot soup, they stocked up on some water and snacks before setting off again, looking for a clear patch of land to spend the night. There was a small clearing among the fields that was big enough for their tent a few kilometres down from the restaurant so they parked their truck by the side of the road and set up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn’t cold enough for them to need a fire, curling up close in a big sleeping bag was enough heat to get them through the night. They laid outside the tent on the dry grass for a while, gazing at the stars once the sun set.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung, do you think that there’s a star in the sky for the ones we’ve lost?” Jinyoung mused.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hope so, sometimes. That way I can look over you once I’m gone” Jaebeom whined as Jinyoung hit his arm</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who said you’re allowed to die before me? Just cause you’re a few months older doesn’t mean you’re going first. I’ll become a ghost and haunt you till you die, instead” They laughed together at the younger’s childishness, sharing some snacks between themselves.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m serious Nyoungie, I’ll always be with you, regardless of where we are” Jinyoung turned on his side, resting his head against his hand and looked down at Jaebeom, smiling as the elder looked away from the sky to lock eyes with him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re so melodramatic, hyung” Jinyoung said, dropping back onto the grass, one hand searching for Jaebeom’s. He laced their fingers together once he found it, holding it against his chest as they continued to talk about random things, worries floating away with the soft breeze of the night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Jinyoung started yawning, Jaebeom decided it was time to call it night, pulling the younger into the tent to lie down. They cuddled close to each other, sleeping bag pulled tightly around their bodies. Jinyoung felt an unexplainable sense of safety, wrapped in Jaebeom’s broad shoulders, his firm chest cradling the younger’s back as they whispered nonsense in each other’s ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It made Jinyoung recall the countless nights they spent in his backyard, the few square feet of open space, their own little world, one with no one but them. Jinyoung had told Jaebeom every thought, every memory, every secret during those nights, protected by the black sky and the arms around his waist as he sat in the elder’s lap, his back resting against a worn out lawn chair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was just before dawn when Jinyoung’s eyes opened, the warmth around his body missing. Panic took over his system for a moment as he tried to rack his brain to figure out why he was alone. Just as he was about to shout for Jaebeom, the elder stepped back inside the tent to call Jinyoung to watch the sunrise, the soft smile on his face flooding Jinyoung’s body with relief. They had a breakfast of mandarins and granola bars before packing their things up and getting back into the truck.  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The roads were clear everywhere they went, not a soul in sight. Fields turned to trees turned to proper forests on either side of their path, becoming their only companions on the journey. The conversation flowed easily, topics light, changing quickly like the vegetation around them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jinyoung doesn’t remember a time when Jaebeom had smiled so brightly. For most of the time that he had known the elder, it felt like Jaebeom was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He doesn’t remember seeing the elder laugh so loudly, with his head thrown back at Jinyoung’s dad jokes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was always a reason for Jaebeom to hate the world, for as wise and kind he was, it always felt like he was fighting demons that no one but Jinyoung could see, but even then, the younger never knew what they were. Jinyoung remembers the day he told Jaebeom about Japan, after that one brief moment, as the idea sunk into his body, as he accepted it into his heart, it became part of Jaebeom’s grand plan.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There would be days where he would talk about nothing but their trip, like it was the one thing that kept him going. Jinyoung couldn’t lie that his heart fluttered when Jaebeom talked about spending that experience of his life with the younger, proof that he meant as much to the elder as the elder meant to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they reached a part of the forest that was nothing but dark green, reminding Jinyoung of the fences of his backyard that made up the borders of his world, he asked the elder to stop. They stepped out of the truck, Jaebeom pulling out his camera to click some photos before finding his book and sitting down on the road, facing the way they just came. Jinyoung grabbed his earphones and a sketchbook, sitting with his back against Jaebeom’s, facing the route they would take ahead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>About an hour later Jaebeom checks his watch, a gift from his mother to him and Jinyoung, who had a matching one in silver as compared to Jaebeom’s one in gold. The watch ran on their heartbeat, as long as they were breathing and alive, the watch would keep running. They had about five minutes to rest if they wanted to reach the junction before sunset. He bent one arm back to tap at Jinyoung’s shoulder, who jumped at the touch, having been lost in his sketch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They got back on the road soon after, the drive rather quiet as they took in the fresh air, pulling the windows down and admiring the view. Halfway through Jaebeom was sick of driving so they stopped to switch places but instead of climbing into the front, he hopped into the back of the truck, smiling at Jinyoung through the small window between them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He sat like that for the following hour plus, just admiring the path behind them as Jinyoung surged forward. After a while Jinyoung started whining, complaining that he was too lonely so they stopped again and Jaebeom got out of the back to sit in the front, next to Jinyoung.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hyung, where do you see yourself five years into the future?” Jaebeom chuckled at the question, a hint of bitterness laced in his voice as he pondered for a moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“By your side” Jinyoung just whined at the elder’s cheesy answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m serious, hyung. Would you have found a pretty girl by then? You’d be 30, would you want to settle down, perhaps?” Jinyoung took his eyes off the road for a moment to look at the elder’s face, perplexed at the knowing smile on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Wouldn’t you want to know, Jinyoungie?” The elder teased.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me you have a secret girlfriend you haven’t told me about, that would break my heart Lim Jaebeom,” The elder just chuckled, much to Jinyoung’s dismay.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t worry Jinyoung, I would never hide anything from my best friend” Jinyoung beamed at the elder, his suspicions slowly fading, despite the hint of guilt on the elder’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stopped at a farmer’s market they stumbled across to restock on food before they took off on the last leg of their journey. According to the map and their calculations, it would take less than two hours for them to reach the junction.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaebeom pulled out a few mandarins from the bag and peeled them as Jinyoung drove, feeding pieces to the younger to make sure he kept his eyes on the road.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about you, Jinyoung? Where do you see yourself in five years?” Jinyoung held back a comment about the lack of creativity in Jaebeom’s question as he thought about his answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Probably buying a house and working a better job. I love living with my parents, but I feel like its high time I lived on my own”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What about you finding a girl? Do </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>have a secret girlfriend I don’t know about, Nyoungie?” Jinyoung didn’t answer the question, but he couldn’t stop the redness from rising to his ears.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t tell me, you found someone, didn’t you? How could you not tell your hyung, Jinyoung? I’m so hurt. And there you were, accusing me of having a girlfriend” Jinyoung vehemently denied the elder’s accusations, mumbling something under his breath that sounded like ‘if only you knew’ before Jaebeom dropped the topic.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jinyoung’s face lit up though, when he started recognising the scenery he had seen in the photos, slowing the truck down as the junction came into sight, right in front of them. He stopped just before it, both of them pushing the doors open to run towards it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ready?” It was all Jinyoung could say at that moment, overwhelmed by emotions. They were finally where they had dreamed to be for years. They left their bags in the truck, knowing that they should reach either side before sunset.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once more, they pressed their backs against each other’s mirroring the large arrows signalling the directions just behind them. Their fingers laced at their sides, and two deep breaths later they set off, with a promise to not look back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jinyoung walked confidently, determined to not turn. They had promised each other that they wouldn’t chicken out, not even glance back at each other as they walked. Jinyoung didn’t stop once, he let his feet drag him forward at an even pace.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The scenery was gorgeous, one side covered in trees and the other with flat fields that stretched out infinitely. He kept walking, ignoring the welling urge to turn back. Even after he was far enough to be sure that he wouldn’t be able to see the elder even if he turned around, he still felt the pull inside himself, just to check once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A story he had heard once came to his mind. Yugyeom, his cousin, was a big fan of Greek mythology and had narrated to him the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, of how young Orpheus’s love, Eurydice had died of a viper bite and he went down to hell to bring her back. Hades had accepted his request with the one condition that he would not turn back to look at her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Determined to leave with her he had walked on, but the urge became too strong as he doubted the lord of the underworld and wondered if he had tricked the poor man. In the end he did turn back, and Eurydice was there, but she would no longer follow him back home.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jinyoung scolded himself for recollecting the tragedy, it only spurred on his fear that something might be wrong, that Jaebeom himself turned around to walk towards Jinyoung. The younger looked at his watch to check the time, it read 1:29. He had been walking for nearly an hour and he was growing far too worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s when he did it, he turned around and looked back. As he had expected, he could see nothing but the endless road in front of him, not a sign of Jaebeom anywhere. It was as if the world had stopped around him for a moment, and he checked his watch once more to make sure it didn’t. The second hand seemed to hesitate for just a second, as if counting the same second twice, before running back as normal. It counted twice at 1:31:23.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was almost four in the afternoon by the time he reached the village, immediately recognising the motel from his research. Walking in, he asked the receptionist if they had received a call from one Lim Jaebeom but they said they hadn’t which meant that Jaebeom hadn’t arrived yet. He waited for ten minutes before ringing up the other motel and described Jaebeom to them, asking them to inform the elder when he arrived and tell him to call back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Deciding to take the extra time to take some rest before he set off back to the truck, Jinyoung bought a peach flavoured water from the vending machine in the lobby and settled down on one of the couches. Before he could put his wallet back though, he saw a piece of paper in it that he didn’t recall putting there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Opening it, he realised it was a print out of their e tickets Jaebeom had booked for the trip. He would have put it in his wallet at some point during the security check, Jinyoung thought to himself. But as he read through it, his eyes blew open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jaebeom had only booked three tickets in total, one ticket to and from Hokkaido for Jinyoung but only a single ticket for Jaebeom to Hokkaido. The elder had not booked himself a return ticket. Jinyoung tried to convince himself that it was probably a mistake but he knew Jaebeom way too well. Was the elder not planning to go back with him? Was he planning to ditch him? A million thoughts ran through Jinyoung’s head but he was pulled out of it when the landline at the reception rang.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello? Mr. Park? We have some unfortunate news to share with you” Jinyoung felt his knees wobble as he heard the voice of the old lady on the other end of the landline.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next thing he knew he was surrounded by stark white walls and the smell of disinfectant. He didn’t even get to see Jaebeom, he just met the doctor outside the ICU who stopped him from rushing inside. The man held him back and kept saying something that Jinyoung couldn’t hear, he just wanted to see his hyung and see him that very moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <strong>BREAKING NEWS</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Lim Jaebeom, a 25 year old man from Korea found collapsed by the road turning left from the famous Hokkaido T junction. He was pronounced dead on arrival. The man was found to be suffering from a rare type of cancer diagnosed at birth, which was declared the cause of death.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>***</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jinyoung doesn’t remember fainting, he just knew that his eyes opened to see a picture of Jaebeom laying on the road, the news reporter speaking in Japanese that Jinyoung could barely decipher. The elder’s face was turned away from the camera, the only thing that Jinyoung could see through the tears was his watch. It read 1:31:23.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Any kudos and comments are much appreciated</p></blockquote></div></div>
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